On Wheels

Homeschooling families are often asked "What do you do about sports?" It seems that this is the question we are asked second-most to all others. (Number One, of course, is "How are your kids learning to socialize with others?")

We've consciously decided to avoid the typical team sports that involve shuttling kids all over creation to attend practices, games, and tournaments. Sure, baseball, hockey, football and soccer have value and can be quite healthy. But the schedules can consume enormous amounts of time that could be better spent with family; we've seen this happen to a number of our friends.

Just living on a farm, our kids get plenty of exercise. But they also participate in a relatively unusual sport. What this is, and how it came to be, is the focus of a fun article I just had published on MercatorNet. It begins like this:

If it’s true that an addict is the last to recognize his own addiction, that may be especially so when the compulsion is ostensibly healthy. But rock bottom is rock bottom, and mine came on November 20, 1999 — appropriately enough, near the lowest geographic point in North America, on one of the country’s most isolated roads.

You can read the rest of the piece here.

And for those who have been asking about my plans for a second novel, I do have a story in the works. The general plotline is inspired by the events recounted in this MercatorNet piece. I've finished a complete first draft, and the editor (and other initial readers) have sent me suggested changes. I am in the process of incorporating those edits now; I am hoping to have a final version for publication sometime next year.

In related news, my first novel, Passport, is now available in e-book format through the Amazon Kindle Store(for just $2.99). Also, Amazon has temporarily reduced the price for the print edition to $13.45; it can be found by clicking on the image below.

Such a Deal!

If you're looking for a great Christmas gift, Amazon has knocked 10% off the cover price for my novel. I'm not sure how long the $13.45 price will last, but this appears to be a pre-holiday promotion.




UPDATE: It appears that Barnes and Noble is currently offering the same deal. $13.45 is usually their "members only" price for my novel, but they are temporarily giving all customers the "member" price.

More information about the novel itself can be found at the book's website.

IPPY!!!

We got some great news over the weekend: my novel has won a bronze medal, for best 2008 religious fiction, in the Independent Publisher ("IPPY") Book Awards. Although Independent Publisher magazine has not yet disclosed the number of titles that were competing in that category, there were a total of 3,380 books entered across all 65 national categories --- an average of 50+ per category.

According to the sponsor, the "IPPY" awards are conducted annually to honor the year's best independently published titles. The "IPPY" Awards reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets, and books are judged with that in mind. All independent, university, small press, and self-publishers who produce books intended for the North American market are eligible to enter titles copyrighted or released in 2008.

All I can say is: I'm very honored that the novel was judged to be near the top of its category. But what makes me even happier are the messages of appreciation from those who have read the book and found themselves moved or inspired by the story. If this award helps the book find its way into the hands of even one more such person, that's the only thing I really care about.

Midwest Book Review

The March issue of the Midwest Book Review is out, and they are running a very positive review of my novel:

A passport is what's needed to pass into new lands freely, and they are not always easy to get. Passport is the story of Stan Eigenbauer and his search for happiness. He thinks he finally has it, but fate has it in for him, and he soon faces a decision which could either make or ruin his life. Using the passport as a symbol, Passport is a tale of choices, love, and doing what's best for others and oneself. Highly recommended reading.

A reminder that you can see all editorial reviews, and find links to the book's Amazon and Barnes & Noble listings, at the publisher's website.

Family Life Review

Many thanks to James Volpe at the Natural Family Life blog for running a review of my novel.

In part:

Christopher Blunt has written a novel demonstrating nearly the entirety of the Church's teachings on marriage and sexuality. I am stunned by how well everything hangs together without being forced. The plot involves fornication, abortion, contraception, personalism, NFP, annulments, and marital chastity. The story is gripping and believable with a main character, Stan, who appeals to me, a Simpsons-loving entrepreneur. Stan is also a Catholic like me, who takes the Truth for granted and needs to re-learn the Faith constantly.

As Stan re-learns the Faith, a variety of events occur in his life which succeed in being surprising while not being unexpected. Stan's life is not a common one, yet it appeals to the common man. His is a truly Catholic life, where small things can teach great lessons and where an average man is prepared for great gifts.

Novel News

Work has remained extremely busy, leaving little time for blogging. I did want to pass along a bit of news regarding the novel, however.


The Catholic Bookmarks radio program did air their interview with me this past weekend. If you didn't catch it on the air, they have an audio file on their website that you can listen to.


Also, Nancy Carpentier Brown posted an outstanding review on her "Flying Stars" blog; she was also kind enough to cross-post that review at Amazon. In part:

After spending every waking moment trying to finagle more moments to read just one more page of this book, I finally finished it much to my regret. I wanted more.

Passport is a difficult book to describe. It is a novel, yes. But what do you call a novel that makes you want to be a better person? That helps you see the sacrifices you've made aren't really that much, and you should do more? That turns your mind to your own selfishness and lays it bare? That makes you ask yourself if you're doing God's will in every little thing, and not just when His will and yours converge?

This is an adult novel, and yet, it's not that kind of adult novel. It's adult because it deals with mature stuff. Not that kind of stuff, although that's in there, too, just not graphically enough to give it an R" rating. It's adult because the mature stuff is about sin. And sacrifice. And loving someone enough to give up everything for them. And the consequences of even a moment's lapse in judgment. And the love of Christ to help you walk through the darkness.

This is a novel about ... a difficult situation. A very complex story about the complexities of sin, sacrifice, love, honor, chivalry, manliness and womanliness. It's a story about parenting, and families, and children, and faith, and hope. It's a story about a normal man, an average man, and a story about humans as we are. It's a story about how we try, and fail, and try again.

I think the greatest virtue in this story is hope. The main character never seems to give up hope, even though the situation--brought about by his own sin-- seems so hopeless. I loved his circle of friends, the garage where they work on cars and talk about life, the community center where they volunteer. And even though the main character is often hopeful, he is real and human. He often fails, there, too, and tries to run from his sorrows and pain in ways many of us will recognize, because we've run like that, too.

And although this story is told from the guy's point of view, I still liked it, and I could still relate to everything that was happening because it is a human story, and hope is something anyone can understand.

I guess I could also relate because of being a parent and a spouse, and the story revolving around those states in life and issues relating to them. I don't know what an unmarried young adult or a grandparently adult would think of this book. But I suspect the emotions and situations are universal enough for most any adult to be able to find the story compelling, interesting, and even challenging.

I recommend this book to any adult looking for some leisure or commuter-type reading. This book is easy to read. It's a page-turner because you want so badly for the situation to be resolved in a good way, and there are so many almost insurmountable obstacles in the way.

You won't be uncomfortable reading it because it keeps itself modest, and yet, talks about subjects you might not talk about with your friends, unless you know them really, really well, and trust them with your secrets.

Passport: A Novel. Bring a tissue. Bring your hopes and fears. Prepare to be changed. Prepare to be challenged.

Book Picked

Many thanks to Lisa at the Catholic Mom site. Just got word that she has made my novel, Passport, her Fiction Book Pick for the month of July. She would also like to schedule an interview for an upcoming podcast; I'll post details about that once I have them.

In the meantime, I recently taped an interview with the Catholic Bookmarks program that airs on Relevant Radio and Sirius satelite radio. That is scheduled to air in the next week or two, and will then be archived on their website. Again, I'll post those details once they are final.

Latest Review

Catholic writer and editor Regina Doman, author of several novels and other books (including the bestselling Angel in the Waters), has posted an excellent review of my novel, Passport. In part:

It's a great read whose message doesn't obscure the page-turning romance, a story that will have a special resonance with Catholic men, especially dads.

On the first page of the book, Stan Eigenbauer, vintage car specialist and comfortable Catholic, meets the girl of his dreams -- or so he hopes. Trinh Le is a gifted photographer, an immigrant from Vietnam, luminous and fragile -- and already married and separated from her
sinister husband. The tangling of their lives and a fateful choice throws Stan into a heart-wrenching moral dilemma with tragic consequences. But Stan decides to make a heroic choice and shoulder a burden most men would want to leave behind.

Stan's saga is one my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed, and we're happy to recommend this book. For those of you on the lookout for emerging Catholic genre fiction, you will want to check out this book.

I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Regina and her husband, Andrew. In the months before Passport was published, I sent them an Advance Reading Copy of the book. The two of them finished it in a matter of days, and liked it very much, but had several excellent suggestions for improving it. We stayed up late one night in mid-March, talking through what they liked and what could be enhanced. Although the basic story and conflict of the novel remained the same, their suggestions helped significantly improve the execution.

Catholic Media Review

Catholic Media Review is up with a review of my novel. It's a cross-post of an earlier review that Ellen Gable Hrkach originally had up on the Catholic Fire blog. For those who missed it the first time around, here are the relevant exerpts:

Passport illustrates the growth of a man who strives to do the right thing, and shows that the struggle to live chastity does not end with marriage; it is simply lived out in a different way. Stan eventually comes to the realization that only in dying to ourselves can we truly love others and find meaningful happiness. It was a joy to read such an uplifting story in this day and age where self-centeredness is the norm.

I most strongly recommend Passport to Catholics in their twenties and thirties, although all people would find the story interesting. There are some romantic elements in the book but this is decidedly not a romance novel in any traditional sense. As a woman, I enjoyed reading a story from a man’s perspective, especially the inner workings of a man’s mind regarding chastity and natural family planning.

I would highly recommend Passport as it is easy to read, well-written and the characters are rich and well-developed. Blunt’s portrayal of family life is especially real, down to earth and believable.

Another Review

Thanks very much to Jim over at the Ars Catholica blog for posting a review of my novel.

In part:

The well-paced book describes the life of Stan Eigenbauer, a young Catholic in the city of Chicago, who discovers the true meaning of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and most of all, love.

When we first meet Stan, he leads a comfortable life unaccustomed to challenge, change, or controversy. He’s a by-the-book Catholic who hasn’t really had the opportunity in life to understand why following the book is important. But early on in the novel, he falters, and this begins the extraordinary story of his trials to care for the woman he loves at great sacrifice to himself.

Stan’s daily commitment to carrying his cross challenges the reader to consider their own commitments. The novel is in many ways an instruction on Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body told through the lives of Stan and the woman he loves. The narrative flows well, the story keeps the reader turning the page, and while there were some instances when I could predict what turn the plot would take, the end caught me very much by surprise.

In short, we need more novels like this. Stan’s life presents the Catholic view of marriage in a divorce-ridden world, where love is often reduced to lust, whether on the page or on the television screen.

And a reminder to those who haven't yet been able to pick up a copy: Amazon is still offering the the book at a substantial discount.

Not Me

By a quirk of their computer system, the Barnes & Noble listing for my novel has links to "More By this Author." If you click it, you'll find four murder mysteries authored by, yes, Chris Blunt.

I always thought I had a pretty unusual name...but apparently it's not that unusual. Anyway, one of the people who read my novel sent a remarkable note. She said she'd liked Passport so much, she'd already clicked through and ordered another of my books. And she asked if I'd written any other books I hadn't told her about.

Once I figured out what had happened, I explained that some other Chris Blunt had written the books B&N was linking to mine. She was able to cancel her order before it shipped. I contacted B&N about the issue, and they said they are aware that these kinds of errors can happen, but it will take quite some time before they can fix all of those errors.

Must say...her ordering that "other" Chris Blunt's book was, I believe, one of the sincerest forms of flattery I've ever received. Never, ever, could have imagined that happening.

But it does make me want to get off my tail and start writing a second novel.

Price Drop!

Apparently in response to the initial orders, Amazon has dropped the price on my novel to $12.11. Don't know how long they will continue to do so, but wanted to let you all know about the current discount.

First Reviews

Many thanks to those who have been posting customer reviews of my new novel on sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble --- these kinds of comments are very helpful to those considering buying or reading it.

Those who missed yesterday's big announcement of the novel's launch can skip to that post here.
I am particularly grateful to those who have begun posting editorial reviews of the novel on their own blogs and review sites.

Earlier this week, Ellen Gable Hrkach, author of the excellent novel Emily's Hope, reviewed my book for Catholic Fire. In part:

Passport illustrates the growth of a man who strives to do the right thing, and shows that the struggle to live chastity does not end with marriage; it is simply lived out in a different way. Stan eventually comes to the realization that only in dying to ourselves can we truly love others and find meaningful happiness. It was a joy to read such an uplifting story in this day and age where self-centeredness is the norm.

I most strongly recommend Passport to Catholics in their twenties and thirties, although all people would find the story interesting. There are some romantic elements in the book but this is decidedly not a romance novel in any traditional sense. As a woman, I enjoyed reading a story from a man’s perspective, especially the inner workings of a man’s mind regarding chastity and natural family planning.

I would highly recommend Passport as it is easy to read, well-written and the characters are rich and well-developed. Blunt’s portrayal of family life is especially real, down to earth and believable.

And Jeff Culbreath ran an excellent review today at Stony Creek Digest. In part:

“Passport” is written by a man who quite obviously has traveled some distance himself on the el camino real, the road to sanctity, and because of this he is able to capture the silent workings of grace in the lives of his characters in a way that is beyond the reach of most writers. The main characters - both of them - are faced with agonizing and frankly humiliating choices. Even I, a supposedly seasoned Catholic, found myself longing for the characters to take the easy way out, the way of the world and respectability and happily-ever-after. Although there is plenty of romance (hence the attraction for lady readers), the Catholic life is not romanticized or sugar-coated. In fact the book vindicates one of the primary reasons for my own conversion, the realization that Catholicism is a religion thoroughly obsessed with reality, no matter how messy, no matter the cost, and often the
cost is high indeed.

The personalities of the book were meaningful to me. The central character is a man much like myself - in some respects a better man, and in others, perhaps less so. Stan Eigenbauer’s story was often uncomfortable reading due to its honesty and familiarity. The other characters had remarkable similarities to people I know, or have known in the past.

This is a story about an ordinary man who does an extraordinary thing: he takes up his cross and follows Christ. Despite his hopes of breaking free, he is nevertheless determined to go all the way if he must. In the process, he takes a few others with him - even those who don’t realize they are going - and discovers a new freedom that is beyond anything he has ever experienced.

Thanks again to all who have been reading it and sharing their reactions.

Passport

This might be the biggest news ever broken on my blog:

I've just published a novel.

The title is Passport, and it explores what it sometimes costs --- and how much we can grow up --- when we learn to sacrifice ourselves for the good of those who need and depend on us. The quick overview is:

Passport is an engaging coming-of-age story about a young man's discovery of self-sacrificial love. It is told through the eyes of Stan Eigenbauer, who is living a generally upright --- but comfortable and self-satisfied --- bachelor's life with his dog and hobby cars. When a lapse in judgment brings consequences he hadn't anticipated, Stan must make a series of agonizing decisions about how to move forward. He struggles to rearrange his life, and finds himself increasingly attuned to the needs of others. As Stan grows more faithful to his commitments, and more committed to his faith, he discovers a depth of joy and happiness far beyond what he or we could have expected.

It took over five years of writing, revising, and working with the editor(s), but it is at last in print and available to the public. Some of my blog readers have been involved in reading and commenting on previous drafts, and to them I want to give a big THANK YOU.

The idea for the story came to me in early 2003, while spending a week on a workshop at a conference center. I had time to think about some of the more remarkable turns that life can take, and was reflecting on how sometimes a single key decision, that seems very small at the time, can alter the future in a very big way. In particular, I found myself thinking back to one particular day in 1993, when two options presented themselves. As it turns out, I chose correctly---and I can honestly say I have no regrets. But I could see now that had I chosen just a little differently, my ensuing life would have been entirely changed --- and not for the better. In the novel, Stan Eigenbauer is presented with the same options I faced...but he doesn't choose the same way. The rest of the story follows Stan as he struggles to address the unexpected impacts of that choice.

I should note that although the story is narrated in the first person, and Stan shares some of the same attitudes I had when I was single, the Stan character is very different from me. In other words, the story doesn't attempt to be an "alternative history" of my life the way that, say, the Confederate States of America documentary is an alternative history of the USA. There is a "yeoman farmer" character who is a closer approximation of the real me, but even there most of the details of that character's life are different from those of my own.

Once the story concept was firmly in mind, I stayed up very late that night mapping it all out. When I got home from the conference, I began typing furiously; I could "see" the whole story inside me, and I needed to get it out. Often, I'd wake up at 3am with an idea for solving a particular detail of the plot, and rush upstairs to my computer. I began devoting the bulk of my free time to putting the story together, and I had a complete draft in just three months.

Those who read the draft liked the concept, but the details needed a lot of work. I spent the next few years chipping away at these details, but the quality of the story didn't make a quantum leap until I hired a professional editor. She pointed out some very big problems with the characters and the plot, and made excellent suggestions for improving them. I spent the next couple of years making those changes and refining them further. (I'll say more about this process in future posts.)

The biggest challenge was finding a publisher (or even an agent) who would take it on. The story's central conflict is too "Catholic" for any secular or Protestant publishing house; they told me quite frankly that they wouldn't know how to sell it. The Catholic publishers were not much help, either; only one of them does much adult fiction at all, and as a result they get 600+ submissions per year. The solution, many experts in the field told me, was to start my own publishing company and invest all the resources that any other publishing company would invest: hiring the professional editor, hiring a professional cover designer, putting a website together, setting up the production and distribution channels, and so forth.

And so...Pelican Crossing Press was born. The site is still under construction, but all the essential elements are in place. At present, Passport is our only publication. But I'm very much enjoying the learning process, and envision publishing other works of Catholic-themed fiction in the future.

I should add that Passport is not simply a "Catholic" story. It's really a story about life, and the choices we make, and what we sometimes must do to remain faithful to a larger ideal. In this case, the details of those ideal happen to stem from the central character's Catholic faith. Catholics are obviously the target audience, but some of the story's biggest fans have been committed Protestants, who have enjoyed the novel on its own terms. The key, I discovered, is not to preach. Let Stan get himself tangled up, and let him find his way out...but don't try to tell the reader that there is some moral "message" that must be drawn from it.

So, where can you get yourself a copy? The Pelican Crossing Press site has links to various online ordering options. Amazon has it, of course. Barnes & Noble also does, and they've been selling it at a discount. (Both retailers have the same "free shipping when you spend $25" deal, by the way.) It's not yet on the shelves at bricks-and-mortar bookstores, but it can be special ordered through any of the big book retailers like Borders or Barnes & Noble. Simply give them my name and the title, or the ISBN number 978-0976659662.

Writing a novel is a highly personal experience, and not unlike bringing a child into the world. I'll share more about it in upcoming posts; in the meantime, I wanted you to know that it is out there --- and that I hope you all enjoy it very much.